Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-26
A VERY USEFUL STATE INSTITUTION
THE GIRLS INDUSTRIiL HOME

may very well be proud. Some of these
are Of such nature as TO be better adapted
to attract public attention and to excite
popular interest than others. The Soldiers
Orphans Home, at Nenia. is one of our
state institutions that appeals directly to
the hearts and sympathies OF the people.
The State Industrial School for Girls
although different sort of institution in
some respects-has much in il that is al
tractive and interesting to humane people.
Ii is located on the site Of the old White
Sulphur Springs hotel, built by the late
Andy Wilson, Of this county, more than .
quarter Of a century ago-a hotel that will
our citizens who used to make occasional
visits 10 it. Its guests were mostly from
the south and frequently there were 200 to
500 of them present at one time. When
the war broke out the southern custom fell
of, suddenly. and the house was left vacant
and desolate. Afterward fire caught in
one end of the long row Of frame buildings
and all were consumed. Then. finally. the
state bought the entire property and the
Industrial School or Home for Girls was
org inized and maintained. The institution
is now about ~ years old and SOC girls are
now taught in the several sections, or fam
lilies.
Each of these families has a fine brick
building or home of its own. with matron,
housekeeper and a teacher. There are
eight of these families, We believe. with
S9 to 50 members each. all most comfort
ably cared for. and each girl taught in com
mon school branches and trained
to bake. cook. knit, sew. embrcider,
etc, etc. These girls are very well taught.
too. for their work was exhibited at the
Delaware county agricultural fair this fall
and took several valuable premiums. They
are also taught courteous and refined man
nsrs, but. better than all, they are thor
oughly instructed in morals and in the
facts and truths of Christianity. The su-
Delawsre-a layman-shows quite as re-
markable qualities rs u teacher of morals
and religious truths as he does in the gen
eral management of the institution. and in
this line-and in all lines--he is most eff
ciently assisted by his wife-the matron-
vino is personal and helpful friend to the
girls. The design Of the institution is to
lead the girls in right ways, TO teach them
to be moral and religious. industrious. eff
cient in service and useful members in com
munity. To materialize the design into
actual, tangible results, the best of teach
ing talent must be secured and the teachers
must have hearts as well As headS-and the
matrons and housekeepers Ms well as the
teachers-are all instructors. 1t would be
difficult to recruit a corps of ladies better
adaPted to so important work. There
are thirty or forty OF them. and they are
not only well educated. but cultured and
refined. and they bring TO their work
genuine and enthusiastic missionary spirit
Some of the girls are intractabie
merely unfortunate. Scarcely any of them
have ever known wholesome and helpful
home influences, but when they have been
in the institution a few years. and they 20
out into the homes of the people TO cook
and sew, or render other service for them,
they prove, in the main, TO be we'll
trained, Trustworthy and useful young
women. One girl was niece of
governor of a western commonwealth. who
the locality of the little waif
sent for her and gave her home. One |
girl now in the home has recently learned |
that President Cleveland has appointed her |
ern territories. One little girl was found |
to be member of a well-to-do family In |
Ireland, at . certain park. Money had
been sent-twenty pounds a year-to her |
step-father, who. taking the girl to the
home, spent the money on himself. At
len :th, in some way, the friends In Ireland
discovered where the girl was and sent for
her. One of our ccnsuls in Ireland sent q
secretary from New York to Delaware
Tor the girl and she is now enjoying all
that wealth and good social surroundings
,an do for her.
Colonel Crawford conducts the business
!
military system. Supplies are issued to
zach hOusekeeper. and accounted for, sn
hat nothing goes TO waste. The expenses
If the home under his management have
,een reduced 10 the extent of $1,000
" $4,000 a year. We understand that
he Colonel has enough left OF the appro-
'riation made for the year ending the 18th
u November, 1857, TO carry the institution
through another year: but If the members
Il the Legislature really wish to make an
next winter, they could not
% wrong in providing for the erection and
quipment of general union school build
ng, in which all the girls could be taught I
n graded school, with an efficient
uperintendent. .
The colonel and his associates give much
ttentiOn to the physical culture of their
Yards. They seem to be generally quite
Obust They are comfortably and neatly ,
ressed; they have neat and comfortable
leepIng rooms; indeed. it would bs difficult
, suggest any improvement in their man ,
cement
Once a year. eight or ten days before the :
th of July. the colonel organizes the en- :
re force of girls into regiment and drills =,
lem. so that, on the fourth. they 10 through |
lttalion drill with wonderful precision ,
nd surprise old military men with their ac-
irate, graceful and beautiful movements
The Home buildings, of brick, two and
ree stories high, are on the summit of .
III overlooking the SciOto, the ground
oping from the row Of buildings TO the :
mous White Sulphur spring. The grounds u